Enermax Hoplite Review

Enermax has a great reputation for its power supplies and fans, but its cases are a little less distinguished as they can often be ratheridiosyncratic. Fortunately, Enermax is looking to change all that with a raft of slightly more sensibly styled cases. The first of these to grace our labs is the Hoplite.

There’s no denying that, at first glance, it appears that Enermax has been taking some sideways glances at Cooler Master’s HAF range of cases, as the Hoplite sports the same rugged, ammo crate style. This is in stark contrast to many of the sleekercases we’ve seen in the labs recently, but it doesn’t mean the Hoplite is ugly. In fact, we found its utilitarian looks and angular edges quite appealing.

As with most cases around this price, the Hoplite is made from steel and plastic. Fortunately, however, the plastic is of good quality, as it doesn’t bend or creak when you give it a press. It’s also finished in a pleasant mottled effect, which stops it picking up greasy finger prints.

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The front of the case is composed primarily of a metal mesh, which should mean that the fans within the case can easily draw air into the chassis. To aid the flow of cool air into the case there is also a 120mm fan mounted in the traditional front intake position.

This fan is what Enermax grandly titles a Vegas fan, primarily we assume because of the fancy light show that the fan can put on thanks to its built-in blue and red LEDs. An almost excessive count of 11 different lighting styles can be displayed by the fan and its two sets of LEDs. You can flick through these styles via a switch that’s built into the front of the case (along with a speed controller for this fan), and they range from the distractingly gaudy flashing and propeller modes to the standard constant mode.

Below the front fan mount is a pair of hot swappable 3.5in SATA bays. These are wired up to an internal PCB, which requires a Molex power connector, but also supplies an extra pair of 3-pin fan headers, just in case your motherboard is a little short on them.

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Meanwhile, the side panels are fairly simple affairs that both feature an extruded central area, which features a large mesh on the left panel. Built into this mesh are mounts for either a pair of 120mm fans or a single large 200mm fan.

Arguably of more interest, though, is the roof of the case, which is covered in a plastic shroud. Removing this (which is achieved by removing two thumbscrews) reveals a large opening in the roof of the case onto which a pair of 120mm or 140mm fans can be fitted. A double 120mm-fan radiator can also be fitted here, although it will need to be a slim-line version to avoid the attached fans clashing with your motherboard.